How to Get Around Hungary
From the Airport to the Capital Budapest
When you arrive at Liszt Ferenc International Airport, you have several options for getting into the city centre.
Public Transport
Unfortunately, the airport is not yet connected by rail to the centre of Budapest, but two regular bus lines connect the airport to the city. You will find the bus stop of line 100E between Terminal 2A and 2 B., the frequency time of the buses is 20 to 30 minutes, and they arrive at Deák Ferenc tér within 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the traffic, after two intermediate stops (Kálvin tér, Astoria), which is the transport node of Budapest, the meeting point of the different metro lines. The first bus line leaves the terminal at 5 a.m. and the last one thirty minutes after midnight, aligning with the flight arrivals. The bus ticket's price, valid only for this line, is HUF 900, which can be purchased from the ticketing machine at the bus stop (cash or card).
Bus line 200E circulates between the airport and Kőbánya-Kispest railway station, from where you can get to the city centre by metro line three, the blue line. The ticket price is HUF 350. There are 25 to 30 minutes between the buses. The daily or weekly ticket is also valid for them. Those can also be purchased from the ticketing machine at the bus stop. The first bus leaves the airport at 04:09 a.m., and the last departs 21 minutes after midnight. (The metro runs until 11 p.m., and you can get to the centre by night buses.)
Look for bus 900 at the airport between 1 and 4 a.m. at night. The same ticketing machines sell tickets for HUF 530 for the night bus, which takes you to the city centre, to Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út, in an hour.
Passengers over 65 years of age who arrive from any member state of Europe, as well as Island, Liechenstein, Norway, or Switzerland, can use the public transportation buses free of charge.
Airport minibus
Several shuttle service options are available at the airport, and miniBUD is the official airport shuttle service. You can buy tickets for the shuttle service at the kiosk located in the baggage claim area, and your shuttle bus will transport you to your accommodation in Budapest. It’s recommended that you shouldn’t be the last one to board the bus because, on a first-come-first-served basis, it may take smaller detours in the city before you arrive at your destination. You can also book a private, premium, or VIP transfer for a higher price. More information here.
The one-way minibus tariff is HUF 4,900, but you can purchase a return ticket, which saves you ten percent. If you have already purchased your Budapest Card, depending on the card type, you will get a discount on your transfer or your return journey can be even free of charge. You can buy the card online so that you can refer to it on arrival.
If you don't have Hungarian forint on you, you can pay for the minibus shuttle by bank card. (We do not recommend exchanging cash at the airport because the exchange rates are less favourable.)
Taxi Services
Only official taxi service contractors of the airport can provide services at the airport; when exiting the terminal, you have to check in at the taxi kiosk, where you will provide the address where you want to go, and you will be given a number and the estimated price of your ride. During peak hours, the cars arrive frequently, so you only have to check their number. Your journey to the centre of Budapest will cost around HUF 9,000. You will pay in the taxi, either by card or in cash. Avoid the taxi drivers offering rides within the terminal if you don’t want to get into a dispute about prices: they are not official service providers.
How to Get Around in General
Rail
Budapest is the centre of Hungarian rail transport. Traveling by rail is cheap and comfortable in Hungary.
The major railway stations are
- Keleti (Eastern Railway Station): Servicing Northern Hungary and a part of Northeastern Hungary
- Nyugati (Western Railway Station): Servicing the Danube Bend, the Great Hungarian Plain and a part of Northeastern Hungary
- Déli (Southern Railway Station): Servicing Transdanubia and the region of Lake Balaton
The three major railway stations in Budapest also offer luggage storage services.
You can check departures (indulás) and arrivals (érkezés) in printed (and online) timetables. Express trains are indicated in red, while slower passenger trains that service more stops are shown in black. The train departs or arrives at the platform indicated under “vágány” on the train schedule board.
Before purchasing your ticket, make sure to check whether a seat ticket or ticket supplement is necessary for the train.
Types of trains:
- Intercity is the fastest and most comfortable type of railway transportation. It only stops at major hubs. A ticket plus seat ticket is necessary.
- Express trains and fast trains: service more stops, slower. Somewhat (approx. 10%) cheaper than Intercity trains.
You can buy train tickets at the railway stations or online. Major train stations also service ticketing machines. Please arrive on time as you can expect long queues and long waiting times. If you want to purchase a ticket for domestic trains, please visit this website: https://www.mavcsoport.hu/en
Bus Services
Volánbusz has an extensive bus service system in Hungary. Sometimes, bus rides can be quicker than trains at long distances. You can find more information at: https://www.volanbusz.hu/en
Bicycle
Cycling is becoming increasingly popular throughout the country. The EuroVelo Nr.6 international bike route crosses Hungary along the Danube. One of the most beautiful and spectacular day trips from Budapest by bike is to the Danube Bend. If you don’t want to leave the city, Margaret Island and the Buda Mountains are great destinations. Bike routes along Lake Balaton, Lake Tisza and Lake Velence are also worth mentioning. You can use the Bike Citizens app to plan your journey or browse the Hungarian Cyclists' Club website!
Urban cycling has required the designation of bike trails in many places. Although it has become less common, some bike trails still run on the pavement and share the space with pedestrians. Please mind the road signals! Budapest operates a community bike sharing system, and you can get information on other renting options in the tourism offices of larger towns in the countryside.
Transport in Budapest
Metro, bus services, trams
The Budapest metro consists of four lines; it is very easy to use and understand the logic of the routes. The metro lines M1, M2, and M3 meet in the centre of the city at Deák Ferenc tér. M1 line, designated with yellow, i.e., the Millennium Underground Railway, connects Vörösmarty tér with Mexikói út. Andrássy út, the popular Széchenyi Thermal Bath, and Heroes Square, are located on this line. It started to operate at the end of the 19th century as the first underground railway in continental Europe. The atmosphere of the stops and the subway cars are reminiscent of this era.
The new M4 line connects the Keleti railway station with the Kelenföld-railway station in South Buda. More information about the metro lines' network is available HERE.
When metro lines are renovated, passengers can take replacement buses between stops under construction. You can expect such replacement buses at this time.
Purchasing a metro ticket: For a single uninterrupted journey, use a ticket of HUF 350. The tickets are valid for metro, bus, trolleybus, tram, and HÉV (suburban train) within the boundaries of Budapest. A transfer ticket costs 530 HUF. The ticket purchased in advance must be validated at the orange machines in the metro undergrounds or on the bus/tram.
It entitles you to travel for 100 minutes (for 120 minutes at night). If you travel three or less stops, it is enough to purchase the 300 HUF ticket. When you change from one line to another, you should use the so-called transfer ticket or validate one more ticket. You can find more information on ticket types and prices on the following website: www.bkk.hu
With the Budapest Card, you can freely use all the public transport services during the card's validity period. You can purchase a 24-hour or a 7-day card, which is also valid for bus, trolley, and tram in addition to the metro. You can find more information on ticket types and prices on the following website: www.budapestcard.org
Another useful application is BKK Futár, which offers detailed timetables and real-time information about each public transport vehicle. This greatly facilitates planning journey times in the city. The app is available for both Android and iOS devices.
Bicycles, mopeds, scooters
You can rent a bike while in Budapest, use the MOL Bubi public bike-sharing system, ride the similarly serviced LIME e-scooters, or choose the faster and more practical electric moped service BLINKEE.
You can rent a MOL Bubi bike for 24 or 72 or purchase a weekly or monthly pass. A terminal is placed at every green docking station, offering an extensive overview of helpful information. See www.molbubi.hu.
E-scooters are a fast and practical way of getting around at short distances. They are easy to use with a mobile application. One of their great advantages is that you don’t have to return them to a docking station; you can leave them almost anywhere. E-mopeds are similarly practical but are most suitable for longer distances. You can find Blinkee mopeds in Budapest and Pécs.
By taxi in the city
The yellow taxis belong to different taxi companies, but their prices are uniform, which is usually shown on the side of the car. The price consists of three elements: the base fee is HUF 500, the price per kilometre is HUF 300 and the waiting fee is HUF 70 per minute. Taxi service providers certified according to the Taxi Decree of Budapest:
